Truman Desegregates the Military (USII.8d)

Brown v. Board of Education (USII.9a)

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_v._Board_of_Education
Segregation had legal standing from Plessy v. Ferguson which established, "separate but equal." Meaning, if the facilities were equal, they could be divided by race. Thus, schools were segregated. Brown ruled that "separate but equal" was unconstitutional. This lead to the end of Jim Crow.

Dec 1, 1955

Rosa Parks Refuses to Give Up Her Seat (USII.9a)

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Parks
In 1955, busses in the South were segregated so that Blacks had to sit in the back of the bus. Parks was arrested for refusing to move to the back of the bus. This began the Montgomery Bus Boycott which lasted one year. It also began the Civil Rights career of Martin Luther King.

Feb 1, 1960

Greensboro Sit-ins Begin (USII.9a)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensboro_sit-ins
While not the first sit-in, the Greensboro sit-ins would become the most famous and generate copy sit-ins across the South. The goal was to desegregate lunch counters in the South. This helped pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

May 4, 1961

Freedom Riders (USII.9a)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_riders
By 1961, buses in the South were still segregated. People, black and white, traveled on integrated buses in the South in protest. Many of these buses and riders were attacked violently.